US Supreme Court Keeps Abortion Pill Mail Access Open
The US Supreme Court ruled on May 14 on abortion pill access. It allowed mifepristone to keep being sent by mail.
This reversed a May 1 ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That lower court had blocked mail access to the pill.
Drug makers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro asked the Supreme Court to act. The Supreme Court agreed with them.
Two justices disagreed with the decision. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito each filed separate dissents.
The full case will now go back to the 5th Circuit Court. It is likely to reach the Supreme Court again later.
The case began when Louisiana sued the Food and Drug Administration in October. That lawsuit challenged FDA rules allowing doctors to prescribe mifepristone remotely.
Klear Note — Mifepristone is a pill that ends early pregnancy. The FDA approved mail access in 2023. This case involves whether states can limit how the pill is distributed.
Key Terms 5
- Mifepristone A pill used to end a pregnancy in early stages
- 5th Circuit Court of Appeals A US federal court that handles appeals in southern states
- Dissent A formal written disagreement by a judge with the majority ruling
- FDA US Food and Drug Administration — the agency that approves medicines
- Appeal A request for a higher court to review a lower court's decision